Pub. 7 2018 Issue 7

l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s 12 CEO FORUM/ANNUAL MEETING B ankers converged at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs August 2 – 4, 2018 for the 34th annual CEO Forum, where they enjoyed many timely presentations, some fresh mountain air, amazing golf, and saluted Chuck Stones as he prepares to retire. The conference opened on Thursday afternoon with a welcome speech by KBA Chairman Ron Johnson. The opening session titled, “American Politics in a Time of Disruption” was presented by Dr. Steffan Schmidt. While the American people seem to be unhappy with the government and current political system, Dr. Schmidt noted that the fundamentals of the U.S. are strong and there is a lot to be optimistic about in the future. ABA’s Chairman-elect, Jeff Szyperski, provided a Washington update. He noted that S. 2155 is a turning point and that we “need to get banking back on common ground.” He stated that CRA modernization needs to occur as well. Szyperski also touched on the topics of ABA vs. NCUA, de novo banks, the need to reform Farm Credit and the Farm Bill priorities. “What Happens Next? Looking Backwards to See into the Future,” was presented by, economic forecaster, Mark Zinder. Mr. Zinder challenged participants with his statement that “we’re always afraid of new technology, and we’re comforted by the familiarity of old technology,” as he talked about the evolution of a revolution that is currently going on with rapidly changing technology. He concurred with Dr. Schmidt that a new wave of prosperity may be just around the corner. Thursday evening closed with a cocktail reception and networking on the Mountain View Terrace. Friday morning found 128 golfers teeing off bright and early on the Broadmoor’s amazing West Course after a hearty breakfast and buying mulligans to support KBA’s BankPAC. For those folks who chose not to golf, a breakfast program entitled, “The Richest Man in Town” was presented by V.J. Smith. On Friday afternoon, bonus breakout sessions were held in the Rocky Mountain Ballroom. Sean Payant from Haberfeld spoke about “Creating Value: Your Secret Ingredient to Success” and shared that growth is a responsibility, but it’s not your job. Meanwhile Gary Allerheiligen talked about how the new tax law will affect Kansas banks. Bonus sessions were repeated so that participants were able to take in both topics. Dave DeFazio of StrategyCorps closed out the afternoon with his eye- opening general session entitled, “The Amazon Prime Effect: Surviving in the New Subscription Society.” Mr. DeFazio explained that while checking accounts are considered an anchor for customers, something called “deposit displacement” is going on all around us where consumers consistently hold money elsewhere, such as on a mobile app like Starbucks or Venmo. This creates issues for banks because those funds are not in a traditional account. Friday night kicked off with the KBA Leadership Reception honoring Chuck and Sandy Stones. Following this was a dinner and recognition program in which Chuck Stones was honored and recognized for his 32 years of service to the KBA. Video tributes from the ABA staff, as well as Senator Pat Roberts were shown followed by personal remarks from Senator Jerry Moran; Mike Stevens, Centera Bank Keynote speaker, Mark Zinder, delivers a fascinating look into the future as a new wave of prosperity is just around the corner. Beth Wolfe and Leonard Wolfe enjoy conversation at the opening reception. Past KBA Chairman, Kent Needham (First Security Bank, Overbrook), Terry Wright (GNB Mortgage Company, Horton and Ronald Wente (Golden Belt Bank FSA, Hays).